In his haste, however, the boss hadn’t secured my agreement. And he’d broken our first bargain. That gave me more power in this negotiation. I still had some leverage and, given the stakes, plenty of motivation.
“Give me full access to all resources, all information you have on Belial,” I said. “I want his dossier, his history, and his agenda, everything I need to work out what this rebel demon lord is up to and how to stop him. And I want command of the entire team. Give me that, and I’ll release you from our first bargain.”
“Jane, don’t do it,” D said, and I heard something in his voice I hadn’t since we were kids—desperation.
The boss smiled in triumph. He reached into his breast pocket to pull out a small knife. It glowed with a bright-purple light. Again with the purple. I’d never seen any metal from the hell realm glow purple, aside from the sparks back in the alley. And holy crap, just how powerful was the boss? Grabbing my wrist, he scored it with the sharp blade and then cut his own. Ew. And it hurt like the blazes.
I had to swallow hard before speaking. “Can’t I just sign a contract? That is so unsanitary.”
Plus, he’d scored my sore wrist, the one I’d injured by punching D. It still hurt like a bitch.
The boss clasped my bloody wrist to his, and an electric jolt of power shot through me. I gasped as some sort of unnatural wind swirled around us and miniature lightning bolts illuminated the room. Wow. Demons had a flair for the dramatic.
“It’s done,” the boss said. “The pact is sealed. You have five days to complete your task.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, refusing to let him separate our linked wrists. “A week is seven days.”
“Not in the hell realm,” he said, doing his best to yank out of my grasp.
D put his hand over our joined wrists, helping me keep a grip on the demon. “We’re not in the hell realm. You must abide by the rules of this plane. And she’s right. You didn’t keep your end of the original bargain.” The look he gave the boss was hot enough to burn lava.
“No thanks to you,” the boss said, glaring at D.
“Six days, counting today,” he said.
As soon as he let go of me, a book materialized in my hand, and the lock to the chain that kept it closed vanished. He looked at it with what could only be described as tenderness.
I gasped, recognizing the treasure I held. Yeah, I’d have some leverage as well as much-needed information.
Glowing sigils decorated its cover in the primary demon language. Roughly translated, the title was Compiled Grimoires of the Wicked and Wise. No human, mundane, demon hunter, or summoner was allowed to read it, probably because it held the secrets of summoning powerful demons along with demon lore and history. Real history. I’d need that kind of information to solve this case. It was also the only book our team scholar Trinity hadn’t read, since she’d managed to get copies of the other forbidden texts from her personal demon.
I’d set her to work translating and researching ASAP. If nothing else, I’d be contributing to her continuing education.
Plus, I could hold the book for ransom if the boss went after my family. I’d have to get them some extra protection and put my emergency plan into action. No way would I let the boss touch them on my account.
The boss took one last, longing look at the book before turning his icy gaze on me. I caught a flash of what looked suspiciously like sorrow before he spun on his heel, stalked toward his desk, and said, “Now get out of my sight.”
Chapter Ten
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I grabbed Mara and scrambled to the door, not waiting for Barbatos to escort me out and not waiting for D to tell me what I horrible mistake I’d made. I staggered out of the elevator, holding on to Mara for support until we made it out of the building and into the night. The slight chill helped chase away the dizziness and excess adrenaline and thankfully allowed me to walk unassisted. My wrist and throat hurt like the devil, but I still had a bit of the confidence from that strange power surging inside me. I wanted to ask Hannah about it, but she’d gone back into hiding. It was probably for the best. I needed to get home and tend to my injuries before dealing with my demon and my new assignment.
We got as far as the parking lot when I remembered that I did not, in fact, have my car.
An engine roared to life behind us, and I spun in time to spot a gorgeous black sports car of some sort—I was bad with the whole make and model thing—pull up beside us. It shimmered in the glow of a nearby streetlamp, but the edges seemed to melt into the darkness, as if camouflaged.
I was instantly in love.
The driver rolled down the window, and a deep voice said, “Get in.”
Seemed like D was determined to get back in my good graces with all this chivalry. Who was I to refuse such a noble gesture? I hadn’t forgiven him. I just really needed a ride.
I nodded to Mara, who stood beside me in a dazed and frightened stupor. Poor thing. I’d have to let her rest and get settled before questioning her.
Then again, as the magnitude of my mission sank in, along with the consequences of failure, I couldn’t afford to delay too long. I’d have to get the twins on research and interrogate Murkowski ASAP.
After we hopped in D’s car, Mara in the back while I opted for shotgun, and buckled up, I sent a group text to Lacey, my roomies, and our colleagues, Alexi Volkov and Trinity Jones, telling them to check the various portals around the city for the rest of the night. It took me three tries. Those virtual keyboards were tiny, and I had to type with my bad hand. After fixing more than a few autocorrect snafus, I managed to get the messages out.
Lacey texted back right away to remind me I was not “the boss of her.” Alexi, bless him, was much more cooperative and promised to put his sniffer to work on the portals from midtown to east Nashville. He had a gift for it, or rather, his wolf demon did. After I asked Barbatos to tell Lacey I was, in fact, the boss of her for the next five and a quarter days, she agreed to cover from midtown to west of the city to see if the portals in that area were secure.
Trinity agreed to help but said it would cost me. Figured. Then again, she was the supergenius of the group. Her demon had come to her voluntarily, and they worked together in harmony. When she wasn’t busting criminal demons for the boss, she put her considerable skills to use doling out vigilante justice for the “greater good.”
Hey, we all had our thing.
When I told her about the grimoire and said I’d let grant her unlimited access in exchange for assistance and her legal expertise, she all but squealed with delight. Trinity had a knack for demon languages and laws and could find any loophole in a demon realm contract. Given my current situation, those skills were priceless.
That left the summoners. And the question of what the hell this demon lord Belial wanted with me. And how to handle my family.
I was so screwed.
My chest tightened, and stars danced in my vision. Sweaty palms and shaking hands rounded out the symptoms, as did the knives of pain stabbing through my aching wrist and bad hand. Did I have a fever? Had BBB infected me with some horrid hell dimension virus through our blood vow? It would certainly solve my problem. All demon pacts were rendered null and void upon the death of one or both agreeing parties.
“Breathe.”
D’s voice jolted me out of my panic attack. Seemed I’d been on the verge of hyperventilation rather than succumbing to a mysterious hell flu. Damn. So much for the easy way out. I took D’s advice and took several deep, cleansing breaths.
After a moment, I said, “You can drop us off at my car. I think I’m off Commerce Street.” I hoped so. It would be super embarrassing if I hadn’t left my ride there.
D shook his head. “You’re in no shape to drive. I’ll take you home. We’ll get your car tomorrow.”
Wait, what was this “we” nonsense?
He appeared as tense as I felt. His jaw ticked, and one of the veins at his temple pulsed with every beat of his heart. Su
rely he wasn’t worried about me. I was nothing to him. Just an old acquaintance, the girl he’d left behind. Since he wasn’t dead, his failure to come back to me had to have been a conscious choice. Wasn’t the first man to leave me. That would be dear old Dad. D had probably picked up some charming habits during his time in the hell realm, like ruthlessness, calculation, and a hunger for power. That was probably why he was here “consulting” on my case.
Or maybe he saw me as a pathetic damsel in distress he felt compelled to save.
That was worse.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’ll grab my car tomorrow when I go check on Mr. Murkowski, interview him, and pay a visit to Nashville’s summoners.”
He slammed on the brakes so hard, the forward momentum sent me flying as far as the seat belt would allow before snapping me back into the seat. With a series of jerky shifts that could permanently damage his transmission, he reversed and parked on the shoulder of the deserted street.
“What the hell, D?” I yelled. Somehow Mara had managed to sleep through D’s attempt at recreating The Fast and The Furious, as well as my outburst.
He grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me as close as my seat belt would allow. Anger rolled off him in thick, almost palpable waves, and I had the strong suspicion that he was fighting not to shake me. God, I was sick of being manhandled and bullied by demons. I pushed against his solid chest and yelled again.
“Let me go, asshole! What is wrong with you?”
He gripped me tighter. “What’s wrong with me? You take on a demon lord and a hungry succubus on your own, you challenge your demon boss—who could destroy you, in case you hadn’t noticed—and you make a deal with the demon boss that put yourself and your family in danger? What the hell is wrong with you?”
I yanked one shoulder out of his grip and slapped him across the face, sore wrist be damned. He growled, grabbed both of my wrists, and pinned my arms at my side, using his size and strength to his advantage, the bastard.
“Hit me again, and I’ll turn you over my knee and spank you,” he said, his face red with fury.
“Insult me one more time while manhandling me, and I’ll rip off your balls and put them in a mason jar on my mantel.” Pain shot through my wrist and shoulders, but it was nothing compared to the rush of anger and indignation. I could stand a lot, but my former BFF’s judgment might tip me over the edge.
I struggled against his hold as he visibly worked to get his temper under control. Oh, no, I wasn’t having it. We were long overdue for this knock-down, drag-out, and given the total crap day I’d had, it was the perfect time, perfect place, and he was the perfect punching bag.
But since I couldn’t hit him yet—my wrist hurt like a bitch—I settled for a tongue-lashing. “First of all, how dare you come waltzing back in after all these years with the audacity to judge me? I thought you were dead! Not a word, not a note, or even an email in all these years, and you just show up? Yes, I took on a demon and a succubus, and you know what? I beat them. Just me and my demon. It’s my fucking job, and after ten years, I am very good at my fucking job.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.
“As far as the deal, I didn’t have a choice. It was deal or let Mara take the fall, and I promised her I’d keep her safe.”
I fought back angry tears that threatened to spill from my cheeks. No way would I cry in front of him. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I managed to speak with more composure. “I did what I had to, and I’ll do whatever it takes to solve this case. I won’t lose my…my family, and…”
Him. I was about to say, him.
Had he come between me and the boss…well, demon pissing contests tended to end badly, often with a great deal of blood and severed limbs. D had clearly grown up to become a powerful young demon, but he was young, and the boss outranked him.
D’s gaze went wide and then softened. I stiffened. Had he figured it out? Did he know I was protecting him, too?
He let go of my arms and raised a finger to catch a solitary tear before it fell down my cheek. I couldn’t deal. Angry D, snarky D, sexy D? Oh, yeah, I could hold my own.
Tender D? No way. I would not let him break my heart again.
He must’ve sensed the wave of panic that seized me, since he backed off and leaned his head against the seat, running a hand over his face. I settled on massaging my throbbing wrist and shaking like a leaf. I curled into the seat and pulled my knees up, resting my forehead on them. It also let me hide my face from him. I hated this. All of it.
“Here,” he said.
I didn’t look up but felt a cold glass cylinder being shoved into my palm. A vial of some sort, its markings resembled the ones on the vessel he’d used to capture Mephisto.
“What’s this?” I rolled the vial around in my good hand, surprised at the warm feel of the glass.
“Medicine,” his gruff voice answered. “Swallow half now and half before bed. Won’t do anything about that wicked temper or foul mouth of yours, but it’ll heal your wrist and anything else that’s injured. Kills pain, too.”
I uncorked the vial, pausing to admire the intricate swirls and patterns in the glass. Demon made, of course. Most things that came from the hell realm were old-fashioned by modern earth realm standards, but even the most basic and utilitarian of objects bore the hallmarks of master craftsmanship. I only hoped the hell realm apothecary’s skills matched that of the glassblower.
I sniffed the contents, surprised when a pleasant aroma wafted out instead of something nasty. It smelled a little like mint and some floral base I couldn’t identify. I swallowed half the contents and recorked the vial, leaning against the comfortable leather seat and closing my eyes. After a few minutes, the throbbing in my wrist eased, and a pleasant, warm sensation bloomed within me, spreading from my center through my torso and limbs.
I opened my eyes and gazed in wonder at my hands, flexing my fingers and rolling my wrists. The right one was still stiff and a bit achy but improved with less swelling. The windows had fogged, casting the car’s dark, luxurious interior in shadow and seclusion. Had someone passed by on the street outside, they’d probably think a hot and heavy make out session was unfolding inside.
I turned in the seat to stare at my ex. D was still angry, but his rage had cooled from a rolling boil to a slow simmer. He wouldn’t look at me, but I took a moment to stare at him, running my gaze over his tense, feral, otherworldly form. Damn, he was fine. Memories of longing I’d felt when the succubus took his form made me warm in all kinds of inappropriate places. I could devour those lips. I could run my tongue along the column of his neck and trail it down his delectable body, and I grew hungry just from running my gaze over him.
“Jane, I’m doing my best here, but if you keep looking at me like that, I may not be able to hold back.”
I swiped the tears away from my lashes and cheeks, thankful he didn’t watch me do it. “Looking at you like what?”
Wait, how was he watching me without looking at me? With demon mojo?
“Looking at me like you want to rip my clothes off and ride me to the hell realm.” He shifted in his seat, turning to face me while he curled his lips into a half smirk. “Or are you still planning to collect my balls as a trophy?”
I laughed, glad for a respite from the tension—sexual and otherwise—between us. “Maybe. The jury’s still out. Besides, it isn’t you,” I lied. “I’m still under the influence of the succubus. Now, if you’re done yelling at me for being stupid, I’d like to get Mara home and start working on this case.” Sure, I had a million questions for him, but none of those answers would matter if I died at the hands of the boss or a demon lord.
He cocked his head and examined me. “I wasn’t yelling at you for being stupid. You’re not.”
Well, that was a surprise. Did he just give me a compliment? I looked away and started fiddling with the hem of my T-shirt. “You don’t think I’m stupid?”
Yeah, I was fishing. Pat
hetic, but it would be nice to get a little emotional pick-me-up.
D sighed. “I think you’re reckless, and I think you need to learn to when to shut up around your demon boss, but no, you’re not stupid. You’re one of the bravest souls I’ve ever encountered.”
A large crack formed in the armor I kept around my heart. Instead of brushing off what might have been the best compliment I’d ever received, or yelling at him again, I did something completely out of character.
I remained silent.
Thankfully, so did D. He revved the muscle car’s engine and drove to my place in silence. I wasn’t sure how he knew where my place was, but I suspected stalking. Or he could’ve gotten my address from Barbatos.
Nah. He’d totally been stalking me.
I gently roused Mara from her slumber when we arrived at my building. It was a little awkward with my still gimpy wrist. Hopefully the second dose of hell realm medicine would put me back at one hundred percent by morning. Hannah sure wasn’t doing her job on the healing front. D exited the vehicle, too, and stood beside it, not waiting for an invitation to come in. We weren’t there yet. But he’d been kind to me in spite of my outrage and the less-than-warm welcome I’d offered him—which he richly deserved, but still…
“Thank you, Dominic,” I said, liking the way his name rolled off my tongue. I even smiled at him. See, I could be gracious.
“You’re welcome, Jane,” he replied. “Now that we’re playing nice, tell me what I can do to help with your investigation, besides get your car.” He leaned against the car’s sleek black frame, arms crossed. Shadows danced over the hills and valleys of his lean muscled body, doing terrible things to my insides.
I bit back a snarky reply. Asking for help wasn’t my strong suit, but he’d made it easy by offering. I needed all the help I could get. Plus…
I put my hands on my hips and sized him up as he quirked a brow, clearly wondering what I planned on doing next. I liked to keep people guessing. “You know, since you’re officially part of our demon-hunting team, being a consultant and all, and since the deal with the boss included access to all resources, that kind of makes me your boss now, right?”
Catching Hell Page 8